Why combination products? The elimination of hospital born infections has many device manufacturing companies seeking greater reduction in the formation of bacteria on the surfaces of catheters. Antibiotics have shown to have greater efficacy than metallic additives in catheter bodies. Additionally, many companies in the pharmaceutical sector are looking at ways to fill “dry holes” by offering localized delivery of drugs to specific targeted sites directly through drug/device combination products.

Silicone is an ideal platform for these devices for several factors. It has high free volume which provides exceptional permeability for elution of various drugs. Silicone is, for example, 1000 times more permeable to progesterone than is polyethylene. It can be fabricated into intricate configurations for successful implantation into any part of the anatomy.